


Four's a Crowd

by smiles2go



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mindfuck, Paradox, Spoilers, implied threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-01-06
Packaged: 2017-11-23 21:04:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/626496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smiles2go/pseuds/smiles2go
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor finally takes Amy on the beach vacation she’s been begging for and runs into River and the Master and …himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four's a Crowd

**Author's Note:**

> Standard Disclaimer: Nope, still don’t own it.
> 
> Based on River’s comment that the Doctor was out the day she learned to fly the TARDIS and that she can read and write Old High Gallifreyan. Someone had to teach her. Hopefully, that leaves the Master
> 
> I had Benedict Cumberbatch in mind for the future Master. For the future Doctor there were too many choices -- any good-looking, dark-haired man of your choice will do.

~~*~~

“I can’t wait to get on the beach! You check us in and I’ll be on the beach! Lovely, glorious beach!” Amy bounced up and down in anticipation, beach bag banging against her leg. The Doctor grinned at her enthusiasm and opened the doors. “Ta Daaaa!” 

~~*~~

As soon as the Doctor stepped out on the sand covered sidewalk, his head jerked to the right. He began walking, almost running in that direction, passing hotel after hotel.

“Doctor!” Amy ran to keep up with him, “Where are you going?” He didn’t hear her and it wasn’t until she grabbed his arm and skidded to stop that he turned to look down at her in surprise.

“Where are you going?” Amy said loudly and slowly. She didn’t let go of his arm knowing he would run again.

“Amy.” He blinked a few times. “Go back to the TARDIS and stay there.” He gently pulled her hand away from his arm and was off running.

“Go back to the TARDIS and stay there.” She repeated in a sing-song voice. “Yeah. Right. I’ll just do that.”

 

~~*~~

Here. _He_ was here. The Doctor waited impatiently as two old ladies slowly came down the stairs, one step at a time. He gave them a brief smile, flying up onto the porch, flinging both doors wide open. Bypassing the desk, he ran to the elevators and punched the buttons. Too slow, too slow his mind screamed and looked for the stairs.

This one? No, no the next one. He pounded on the door with his fist until it opened and he almost fell inside. He didn’t see River dressed in a white robe holding the door, his eyes went straight to the man standing by the window staring back at him with an unreadable look in his eyes.

“You’re alive!” He gasped, one hand reaching out.

“Hello Sweetie.” River leaving the door open behind him. “You have to leave, now.” He barely glanced at her, not hearing her. “Spoilers!” She said stepping between them, blocking his path. “You’re not supposed to be here!”

The Doctor looked at _him_ over her shoulder and casually set River aside. He’d regenerated, taller, dark thick hair and intriguing blue-ish, silver eyes or was that silver-ish blue eyes? He’d have to get closer to know for sure. And much, much younger than ever before. _Cheekbones!_ Just look at those cheekbones! His eyes dragged over every feature hungrily. He wasn’t alone! The Master was alive!

“Doctor.” A smile played on his lips. “You really do have to go.” He belted the white terry-cloth robe a little tighter and glanced toward the bathroom. 

For the first time, the Doctor looked around, heard the shower running, took in the huge rumpled bed, remains of three breakfasts on the table. He frowned and turned on River who was still tugging on his arm.

“What’s going on here? Who’s in the shower? What is all this?”

“Spoilers!” She shouted tugging him toward the door. “Dammit Doctor!” The shower stopped and three pairs of eyes went involuntarily toward the bathroom door. He stopped letting River tug him and waited.

“Who’s in there?” He asked in a low voice, looking first at River and then at the Master who hadn’t moved. “Who?” He asked angrily.

“Three guesses and the first two don’t count.” The Master grinned. “Paradox anyone.”

“What’s all this then?” Amy stood in the doorway. “Hello River.”

“I told you to stay in the TARDIS.” The Doctor growled without taking his eyes off the Master. Paradox? That could only mean one thing. No, he wouldn’t. Not after all this time.

“Amy.” River said turning to her. “You must get the Doctor out of here right now. It’s vital that he goes. Please Amy.” She added when Amy took another step into the room, looking around seeing the same things the Doctor did, eyebrows raised.

“River…”Amy looked at her, dressed in a robe, hair still damp and curly from the shower. “I thought… well you sort of said…you and the Doctor.” She glanced sideways at the Master. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”

“And you never will be!” The Doctor turned and pushed past Amy going out the door. “Let’s go Pond. We can’t…This is….” And he walked down the hall leaving her gaping after him. “Go back to the TARDIS.”

“Doctor!” Amy turned to look at him and missed the bathroom door opening and the Master rushing across the room to turn the man around so when Amy looked back, all she saw was the back of a dark-haired man, towel around his hips.

“Amy.” River took both her hands, but Amy only glanced at her briefly, her eyes drawn back to the two men. The Master had his hand around the back of his neck and was pulling him closer. “Amy!” River said louder, pushing a gasping Amy out the door, following her out in the hall and closing the door firmly behind her.

“Listen to me. Get the Doctor out of here. Get him in the TARDIS and go.” She shook Amy to get her attention. “Amy, he can’t see that man. It would cause all kinds of problems.”

“Like it’s not causing all kinds of problems that he saw you in a hotel with another man? Two other men?” Amy’s voice was high and breathless.

“It’s not like that.” River rolled her eyes and tried to explain to Amy without actually giving anything away. “This is way into his future.”

“So you’re saying you’re not with the Doctor anymore?” Amy stared at the closed door and thought she heard a thump or a thud.

“No, I’m not saying anything.” River rubbed her face. What could she tell this child to make her go without hurting her feelings? She didn’t want to do that, but would if she had to. “If I give you one answer, one answer only, will you promise to take the Doctor and get the hell out of here?” She asked desperately.

Amy looked at her a long time, knowing River would lie in a heartbeat. Lie to protect herself or to protect the Doctor. She nodded finally. This was the best she’d get from River. Another thud came from the room.

River closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Remember, Amy you promised to go. I can’t stress how important it is that the Doctor leave this place before …”

“Before what?” Amy looked back at her with narrowed eyes. 

River shook her head and hugged Amy briefly. “I’ll see you again, you know.” She smiled.

“So just tell me this one important thing that will make me drag the Doctor out of here.” Amy crossed her arms.

Taking a deep breath, she pursed her lips. “That man in the bathroom. The one in the towel…” She swallowed still unsure this was the right thing to do. “Was the Doctor.”

“No.” Amy shook her head frantically. “The Doctor was there in the room with us…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at River.

“A future one of course.” River said dismissively. “Amy, you’ve traveled with the Doctor, you understand something about time travel.” 

“But, the Doctor wouldn’t…” No, her Doctor wouldn’t be involved in what it looked like was going on in there. “River, he wouldn’t.”

“Amy, Amy.” River said gently, smoothing her hair. “You just saw him.” She smiled at Amy and gave her a quick hug. “That’s all I’m saying. Go back to the TARDIS and get the Doctor out of here. OK?”

Amy stood looking mulishly at River before sighing. She wasn’t gonna get any answers from her, maybe she could get answers out of one of the other two. 

Nodding she went down the hall and pressed the elevator button. River stood watching her till she stepped on the elevator and the doors closed. Then she opened the door behind her and frowned. “Can’t you keep your hands off each other for five minutes? We have a crisis here.”

~~*~~

 

The Doctor waited in the bar till the Master came down and sat across from him. He gave the Doctor an amused look and waved for a drink. The bartender knew what he liked. The Doctor forced his thoughts under control, fought the absurd need to touch him, to make sure he was real. In an effort to cope, he tugged nervously at his bowtie.

“What…Why...” The Doctor took a deep breath to try again.

“Careful what you ask Doctor. I’m not River, I _will_ tell you.”

“Why didn’t you let me know you were alive? Why have you let me think I was the last one all this time?” His voice almost broke. “You knew how that felt! And you just let me go on believing it.”

The Master sighed and took a sip of his drink. “In the first place, I didn’t have access to a time machine. And yes,” He held up his hand to forestall the Doctor. “I know I could’ve found a way. Truth is I didn’t want to. I was angry for a long time. After that, you weren’t ready.” He took another drink and studied the Doctor over the top of the glass. “When you’re ready, you’ll find me.”

“That was really me in the shower?” He Doctor gripped his glass with both hands, but didn’t drink.

“Yep.” The Master nodded, eyes still full of amusement. “That will be you.”

“And you and River….” The Doctor’s voice trailed off. He’d thought.. well he’d only thought it because she intimated. She knew his name, _his name._

“Me and River.” The Master smiled. “And you.” He sat his empty glass on the little table and stood.

The Doctor absently set his glass down and stood. “But…”

“I admit to a bit of curiosity…” The Master twisted his lips in a crooked grin. “A bowtie? Really?”

“Bowties are cool.” The Doctor said defensively, touching it again. “What I want to know—”

“I really think I’ve told you too much already. River is liable to kill me.”

“What about River?” The Doctor’s mind was trying to process this information and coming up with more questions than answers. Him and River and the Master? That wasn’t possible, let alone probable.

“She’s something else, isn’t she?” The Master grinned and walked away. “Oh.” He turned slightly. “If you don’t want to meet yourself, you’d best be on your way.”

~~*~~

“So you’re the Doctor’s little Pond.” The Master stepped out from the alley and caught her arm. “Why are you following me?”

Amy tried to once to jerk her arm away and lifted her chin. “I want to know…”

“Ah, your eyes are bursting with curiosity.” The Master laughed tilting his head to the side to study her.

“Who are you? What are you to the Doctor?” She asked hoping he didn’t notice the tremor in her voice.

“You’re braver than many of his little pets, I’ll give you that.” The Master dropped her arm and started walking. “Didn’t he warn you about me? No cautionary tales about the Master?”

“No. Is that your name? The Master? What kind of name is that?” Amy walked at his side, forcing others to step off the sidewalk to pass. “What would he have warned me about?”

The Master stopped and turned to look at her. “He would have told you to RUN, little Pond. Run as fast as you can.” Threw back his head and laughed.

“I’m not afraid of you.” She blustered, turning only a little red. 

“Then you’re not as smart as you should be.” The Master growled and walked on, Amy catching up and walking at his side again.

“Are you three…together then? You and River and … the Doctor? How long have you known the Doctor?”

“Mmmm.” He grinned down at her. “I’ve known the Doctor all his life.”

“So…you’re a Time Lord too. He said he was the last of his kind.” Amy stumbled on a broken piece of sidewalk and grabbed the Master’s arm to steady herself.

The Master looked down at her hand clutching his arm and smiled. Looking around, he pulled her into the edge of an alley, his hand over hers.

“Little Pond.” He shook his head. “He thought he was, he almost was. But that’s not what you want to know, is it?” He stared intently into her eyes.

“What?” She asked thickly, unable to blink. The beach bag dropped to the ground, forgotten.

“You want to know what it’s like to kiss a Time Lord.” The Master smirked. “He hasn’t kissed you, hasn’t touched you.” The Master touched her hair. “How could he keep his hands out of this glorious, flaming hair, I wonder.”

“Well, now that I know he doesn’t like girls….” Amy swallowed heavily, her mind screaming run and her eyes helpless to look away.

“Doesn’t like girls? Whatever gave you that idea? Of course he likes girls, well women anyway.” He looked her up and down. “Oh…you’re only twenty-first century earth. Well, you’ll get over that.” 

“Over what?” Her brain was slowing down, she couldn’t think.

“Ask the Doctor to take you to meet the freak sometime.” He stroked her hair, letting it glide through his fingers.

“The freak?” She whispered.

“Captain Jack Harkness.” He answered. “Do you want to know, little Pond?” He tilted her chin up with one finger. “Do you want to know what it’s like to kiss a Time Lord?” He leaned in close and lips almost touching hers, he waited till she nodded and kissed her.

Fisting the hand in her hair to hold her still, his mouth devoured her while his mind slid past her puny defenses and he riffled through her memories, throwing up a cloud of ecstasy to distract her. She whimpered, clutching at his jacket with both hands.

When he finished with her memories, the Master pushed her away slightly to look in her eyes again. Cloudy with lust, she was breathless and he grinned knowing he could take her there, take up against the building. Thought about it for three seconds then shrugged. It would certainly annoy the Doctor, both of them in fact, but did he want to do that right now?

“Goodbye little Pond. Run back to your Doctor now.” She frowned as he smoothed her hair back, pressing fingers on her temples. “Forget.” He whispered.

The Master left her standing there, bemused and tousled and walked back to the hotel. If her Doctor wouldn’t leave, they’d have to.

Amy found her way back to the TARDIS, eyes still dreamy, but with no memory of her encounter with the Master.

“Where have you been?” The Doctor was waiting outside the doors. “I’ve been looking for you.” He pulled her inside the TARDIS and locked the doors.

“Walking.” She said airily and plopped in the pilot’s chair, fingers touching her lips as if they burned.

“What have you been up to Pond?” The Doctor walked around the console to look in her eyes. “I smell him on you. What’s he done to you?”

“I smell fine, thank you very much.” Amy said with a bit of temper and jumped down to run up the steps to the gallery. “I smell very, very fine.” She leaned over the low wall to grin at him.

“Amy come here and let me look at you.” The Doctor started up the steps but she turned and ran a few steps giggling.

“Amy, stop this instant.” He took a few more steps towards her. “I need to know what he did in your head. Didn’t I tell you to stay away from the Master?”

“Run.” She laughed and ran a few steps from him. “Run!”

“What?” The Doctor stopped and got out his screwdriver to scan her. “Pond, come down here.” He ordered his voice almost stern.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said huffily. “You won’t let me do anything.”

“Amy.” Two more steps. “Something’s wrong with you. He did something to you.”

“You never do anything to me.” She taunted. “I don’t see you telling River to sit in the TARDIS and be a good girl.” Amy turned and ran, flying down the next set of stairs, she was back at the doors before the Doctor could reach the bottom.

“TARDIS, lock the doors.” The Doctor shouted as Amy tried to push open the doors, then pounded her fists on them. “Amy.” He said softly approaching her from behind.

She turned when he touched her and flung herself into his arms, kissing him. For one brief second he kissed her back then pushed her roughly away. She looked at him in confusion and he looked at her in horror.

“That’s all wrong.” She whispered. “Try again.” And fought in his arms to try and kiss him.

“I can taste him on you!” He pushed her away. “You kissed the Master.”

“No. Of course not. I think I’d remember that, yeah?” She said, but her fingers went up to touch her lips. “You kissed me back.” She grinned and walked toward him, but the Doctor put his hands up and backed away from her. “I felt it! You kissed me back!”

“He’s wiped the memory.” Without thinking, he wiped his hand across his mouth. “I need to look in your mind Amy. He could’ve left some kind of trigger in there.” But still he backed away from her.

“Oi. Is that my kiss you’re wiping off?” She frowned, hands on hips, walking closer until she had him angled against a wall.

“Amy.” He said desperately trying to fend her off without hurting her. “Amy, stop it.”

“No, you stop it.” Amy stood still, his hands on her shoulders keeping her back far enough she couldn’t lean in and kiss him. “You’re up there in a hotel room with River and the Master…together. Doing all sorts of things. And you won’t even kiss me?” Outraged, she kicked his shin.

“Oww!” the Doctor howled and loosened his hands. In that split second, Amy mashed her mouth against his. 

The Doctor let her kiss him this time, and brought one hand up to her temple to look for traces of the Master in her head. Ignoring the kiss, he slipped in her memories and searched for tricks, hidden commands, anything the Master might have left behind.

Finding nothing, he sighed and pushed Amy back again. There had to be something. The Master wouldn’t just kiss her, look around and let her go. 

This time Amy let him push her away. She studied him with confused eyes before turning away to pick up her beach bag and riffle through it.

“Amy.” The Doctor said tentatively. 

“For some reason, I thought it would be better. I thought…should’ve been _magnificent?”_ She said softly and taking her bag, walked down the steps to her room.

Magnificent. The Doctor wondered if she’d meant him or the Master. The Doctor spent five seconds thinking of the Master, then thrust the thoughts from his mind and put in coordinates to get them out of there.

~~*~~

Fin


End file.
